Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Synthesis Report

Thorne, Peter; Boucher, Jean; Caulfield, Brian; Daly, Hannah; Deane, Paul; Gallagher, Danielle; Heaphy, Liam; McClean, Deirdre; McDonagh, Shane; McElwain, Jennifer; McGookin, Connor; Menon, Abhay; Moriarty, Róisín; Murphy, Conor; Nolan, Paul; Noone, Clare; O’Brien, Enda; Ó Gallachóir, Brian; O’Mahony, Tadhg; O’Riordan, Tim; Quinn, Tara; Stefaniec , Agnieszka; Torne, Diarmuid

Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Synthesis Report

Files

5YAR_SynthesisWeb.pdf(4.23 MB)

Published Version

Date

2023-12

Authors

Thorne, Peter

Boucher, Jean

Caulfield, Brian

Daly, Hannah

Deane, Paul

Gallagher, Danielle

Heaphy, Liam

McClean, Deirdre

McDonagh, Shane

McElwain, Jennifer

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Publisher

Environmental Protection Agency

Abstract

This is the first Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA) and is a major contribution to the national dialogue and engagement on climate change. It tells us what is known about climate change and Ireland. It also provides key insights on gaps in our knowledge. The development of ICCA was modelled on the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Sixth Assessment Cycle, completed in 2023, with the use of and localisation of its information for Ireland. ICCA will support the national response to climate change, ensuring that it is informed by the best available science. It also points to how and where that science can be improved through further investments in innovation, in research and in systematic observations. These collectively form the essential backbone of the science and data required to understand how Ireland is being impacted by and responding to the climate change challenge.The full Assessment has been developed through a co-creation process between leading academics in Ireland and officials from across state agencies and government departments. Funding was provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and Department of Transport. The process was collaborative, involving mutual development and agreement of the scope, preparation and review of drafts, wider stakeholder consultation through a series of workshops and meetings, and a detailed sign-off process. We see the publication of ICCA as a real innovation for Ireland and as a resource for understanding climate change in an Irish context across the underlying science, mitigation and adaptation measures, and opportunities. It is a starting point for further dialogue on the findings and their utility for policymakers, practitioners, researchers, research funders and people. This engagement phase should continue far beyond the publication of this Assessment and support climate action in Ireland.

Keywords

Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA) , Ireland , Climate change , Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Citation

Thorne, P., Boucher, J., Caulfield, B., Daly, H., Deane, P., Gallagher, D., Heaphy, L., McClean, D., McDonagh, S., McElwain, J., McGookin, C., Menon, A., Moriarty, R., Murphy, C., Nolan, P., Noone, C., O’Brien, E., Ó Gallachóir, B., O’Mahony, T., O’Riordan, T., Quinn, T., Stefaniec, A. and Torney, D. (2023) Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Synthesis Report. Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland: Environmental Protection Agency, pp. 2-30. Available at: https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/climate-change/ICCA_Synthesis_Report.pdf (Accessed: 13 March 2024)